Mayor Lightfoot Reacts to Long Lines at O’Hare Due to Coronavirus Screenings

"Not only are you creating a disaster, not only are you creating a hazardous circumstance that threatens the public, you risk causing serious illness and death," she said, addressing the Trump administration

Published March 15, 2020•Updated on March 16, 2020 at 12:34 am

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed her concerns and disappointment Sunday regarding the "exceedingly long lines" and several hours' waits reported at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport Saturday night due to enhanced coronavirus screenings.

"This is utterly unacceptable, going forward, we have to turn in a different direction and I specifically want to address these comments to Vice President Pence and members of the federal coronavirus Task Force," Lightfoot said.

"Not only are you creating a disaster, not only are you creating a hazardous circumstance that threatens the public, you risk causing serious illness and death."

In a tweet Saturday evening, airport officials said processing was taking longer than usual due to the screenings.

Lightfoot went on to address the Trump administration at Sunday's press conference stressing that "if you do not listen, and you do not bring us along on the journey first, where we can give you constructive input on how those directives will actually be playing out at the local level, you’re going to see more disasters like last night that are solely the responsibility of the federal government not listening.”